Distance: 7.8 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 455m to 901m. Gain: 4m. Loss: 450m . Gradient: 3 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Waikiti Hut a good river route leads upvalley to the head basin. The riverbed may be followed in normal flows up grass and shingle flats for 2.5km to the first gorge. 2km of sidling low on the faces through reasonably open bush follows to the next set of flats - the TR provides a reasonable route with low ferny undergrowth and some windfall but usable deer trails.

Continuous river travel is possible from here to the head basin. The riverbed alternated between flat shingle and moderately steep rock / boulder climbs. The last 1/2km is narrow but with thick scrub on either side you are best sticking in or near the river.

3-6 hours

River travel was fine in normal-moderate flows after a day of light rain. Flood conditions would close this route.

The river forks into four at it's head, each climbing steeply to the ranges above. The first (western) fork provides reasonable access to the Elizabeth Tops (I have not tried the others)